I am drunk. Her eyelids were heavy and her breathing was inconsistent. Her movements were erratic and she slurred when she spoke. She couldn't remember how long she had been sitting at the bar or how many drinks she had drunk. She looked at the barkeeper and gently tapped her cup. Reluctantly, he filled her another shot of bourbon. She took it, like a shot; too drunk to realize just how badly it burnt. She tapped her cup again but this time he just stared at her. She tapped one more time, this time more forcefully without ever breaking eye contact with her server.

"Ms. Prentiss, I think it is time that you went home." He said, almost scared at the woman's possible reaction. "I have called you a cab."

Emily quickly stood but before she had a chance to give her server a piece of her mind, she noticed his eyesight just slightly to the left of her. She quickly turned and the momentum of her two brisk movements caused her to slip. She looked up at a familiar looking woman. Kate.But it can't be Kate. Kate is in Africa. The woman reached out her hand and Emily took it, not because she believe she needed the help- no, she was too proud for that- but because she needed to confirm that it was really Kate. Kate.

"Let's go home, Emmy." Emily nodded as the tears she worked all night to suppress suddenly streamed down her face.

Kate carefully held Emily as they walked down the two blocks separating the bar from Emily's apartment. It was almost 2am and the streets were deserted. They walked in silence- the only sound being that of Emily's sobs. Kate never asked what was happening, she knew. Emily had confided in her six weeks ago that the woman she loved had just gotten engaged. That the woman she had loved for over a year was marrying someone else. Kate's heart ached for her friend, her best friend and former lover. She wanted to reach out to Emily, to kiss her, to tell her that everything was going to be okay. But she couldn't. Treating Emily as broken, even though it was clear she was indeed broken, would be a mistake. Therefore, Kate walked, in silence, hearing her friend cry and quietly utter the name of the woman who had broken her heart. Jennifer.

Emily woke to sunlight streaming into her room. She couldn't remember getting home. Shit.She cursed herself for drinking again- she had promised she was going to control herself. Shit. Her head hurt. Shit! 10:27am. She was late for work. Shit!

She ran to her bathroom, quickly washing her face and brushing her teeth. Shit,I look like shit. She quickly threw on a pair of black slacks and a yellow sweater and that was the first time she realized that she was only wearing a bra and underwear. Shit,what the hell happened last night? For the first time that morning she stopped to think. My alarm didn't go off. Someone must have disabled it. Last night's clothes are neatly folded on my chair. I was tucked into bed under my sheets. My bathroom was humid and the floor was wet-someone took a shower in my bathroom. Kate! Running downstairs Emily realized that the room smelled like coffee and bacon. Her blinds were open- she hadn't open them in six weeks. She closed them because they made her cry. They make me think of JJ. Two suitcases were stacked at the bottom of the stairs. Emily slowly descended the rest of the stairs and was filled with joy at the sight of her best friend- the only person in the world she trusted with everything- reading a medical journal on her couch, drinking coffee. Kate.

"There is coffee, pastries, omelet and bacon in the kitchen. Please make sure to eat something before you drink your coffee. Considering the fact that your bar tab was $247, I am assuming you are feel like shit." Kate says, without making eye contact with her friend.

"What…what are you doing here?" Emily asks instinctively walking to the kitchen and picking at the omelet Kate had left in the frying pan. Pouring herself a cup of coffee and taking the frying pan with her, Emily walked to the living room and sat on the coffee table directly in front of her friend.

"You had no food in the house, so I ran to the market and got us some food. Sorry, no provolone. Wow, you look like shit." Kate smiles and Emily can't help but smile. I missed you Kate.

"What are you doing in D.C.?" Emily asks suddenly thinking about work again. Shit,I am so late.

The response was quick, as Kate knew this would be Emily's first question; "I am in between assignments so I am working at Memorial Hospital for three weeks."

"But you always go to New York. Why D.C.? " Emily asked, even though she knew the answer.

"Well, for the past six weeks my best friend has been calling me in the middle of the night stupid drunk because her heart was broken. I was worried. Besides, your mother asked me to check on you." Kate said, getting up to pour herself more coffee.

"My mother! Shit. I don't have time for this. I need to go to work. I am already really late. Why don't we meet for lunch? Can you come to Quantico?" Emily says rushing out the door.

"Don't bother!" Kate yells and Emily stops before she crosses the threshold of her front door. "I called work, told them you were sick weren't going to be able to make it. It seems that you have allowed your heartbreak to affect every part of your life because you boss didn't seem particularly surprised that you needed help and some time off."

Emily could feel all the gratitude she felt for Kate vanishing from her body. How could she call work? She has no right… Emily quickly slammed the door and marched back to the living room where her friend had again positioned herself on the couch with the medical journal.

Not looking up from the journal and before Emily had the chance to share her outrage, Kate calmly responded, "you are mess. You are a huge mess Emmy. And I can help. But you have to work with me. Jennifer is engaged to Will. That sucks and I wish it wasn't so. But it is. If you keep drinking yourself silly every night you are going to hurt yourself, not just physically and emotionally but professionally. By the concern in his voice, you boss knew that there was something wrong with you. You have never, never allowed anything to affect your professional life. It's been six weeks. It is time to move on and get your shit together."

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO CALL THE BAU. YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO PLACE YOURSELF IN MY LIFE! IT'S MY LIFE KATE, YOU DON'T JUST GET TO WALTZ IN AND SOLVE MY PROBLEMS. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE. NOW!"

"No."

"What? I AM KICKING YOU OUT. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY 'NO!' I WANT TO BE ALONE AND I HAVE TO GO TO WORK. GET OUT. I NEED TO GO TO WORK." Emily was exasperated. She was frustrated that her life was a mess. She was frustrated that Kate knew her life was a mess. She was frustrated that apparently Hotch knew her life was a mess. Everything was falling apart and she couldn't do anything about it. She loved JJ but JJ was engaged. And straight. She allowed herself to fall for JJ and she had broken her heart without even knowing that Emily's heart was hers to break. Emily had been a coward and hidden her feelings for the blonde for over a year and now it was over. It was over before it started. JJ had agreed to marry Will. She was shaking, trying to keep herself from crying and she was mad. She was mad at Kate for making her realize the mess her life had become. She wanted her friend to leave and leave her alone but she was scared of being alone and she wanted Kate to help her. She couldn't understand what was happening to her. Her lack of control was starting to scare her. This is not who I am.I am Emily Prentiss and I am always in control of my feelings.

"No." Kate said, calmly she knew Emily was mad but she was also unwilling to be shoved out of her friend's life. She has known Emily for over ten years. She knew that she had to ignore the anger and the façade to get to the brunette's real emotions. Hearing Emily kick her out was hurtful but she was there to help her friend and decided to ignore Emily's tantrum. "You should finish eating. We should leave before lunch hour rush hour. God, I hate driving around D.C." Kate had made a decision and she was not budging.

Driving? "Where do you think we are going?" That was all Emily was able to get out before Kate lowered the journal, walked to her friend and gave her a hug. Emily fought at first but soon the tears started to roll down her face and she finally completed the hug. Emily cried for what felt like hours as her friend held her. When the brunette was done crying Kate walked into the kitchen, reheated the bacon and the omelet and gestured for Emily to sit at the breakfast bar. Emily ate in silence as Kate packed them a shared bag. It was Friday afternoon and they were only going to be returning to D.C. on Monday night.

As she packed, Kate explained that she had called the BAU as Dr. Kathryn Welsh and explained that Prentiss was ill. She had asked for the day off but Hotchner had explained that since two co-workers were at conferences this weekend, the team was grounded in D.C. at least until Tuesday morning. So he told Dr. Welsh to tell Prentiss that she could take a long weekend off.

When she was done eating, Emily took a quick shower, put on jeans, a t-shirt her leather jacket and followed Kate out the door, she still didn't know where they were going but it didn't really matter. She trusted Kate with her life and her life was broken. The redhead led the way out of the condo and into Emily's car. She moved around Emily's life with ease having stayed at the condo many times before, always in between her Medical Without Borders assignments. As the brunette settled in the passenger seat, she turned to her college friend and asked, "my mother called you?"